Bannerlord, the latest addition to the Mount and Blade franchise, has a much more robust gameplay loop. Getting into the weeds of managing territory in Mount and Blade: Bannerlord is a big deal. The goals you have ahead of you will depend on your own desires. You could become a band of mercs, taking on wars for other factions. There’s also the ability to get on the good side of a faction and join with them directly as a vassal. But beyond all of that, you can even found your own faction and create a Kingdom in Mount and Blade: Bannerlord.
As you build out your newly formed kingdom in Mount and Blade Bannerlord, you’ll start to realize just how big of an undertaking it is. The process of upgrading and defending towns and castles is a lot of work. In Mount and Blade: Bannerlord, the player is able to take over castles and villages to build their power base. This allows you to both recruit new followers and gather resources. The core of the kingdom-building in the game is built around taking these zones and then upgrading them. You need to constantly pump gold into these holdings to be able to defend them. You will also have to expand your army with new recruits to take on larger challenges. The recruitment process often requires both an influx of gold and resources. You don’t want to take this part of the game on before you’re ready. With this guide, we’re going to explain how to actually begin that process as your own full faction.
Steps to create a Kingdom in Mount and Blade: Bannerlord (2022)
Here are the steps you need to do to create your own kingdom:
- Level to Clan level 4
- Hold at least one fiefdom
- Recruit 1 Companion
The first thing you need to do is get to Clan Rank 4. Do quests and complete basic goals to unlock more Clan XP. You could also raise your leadership skills and other stats to speed this up. The skill system in the sequel is also much more complex. The act of engaging in everything from trade to diplomacy depends on the skills you bring to the table. You might also want to manage caravans and trade goods to help grow your economy. Doing that and completing quests for other factions should get you to Level 4 in no time.
Now, you just need to gain one named companion. Getting companions is pretty simple. You just need to find them around the map at various settlements. Each time you encounter a character, they will have a suffix, such as “Bitterdraught the Black”. Their name will remain the same but the suffix may change. The suffix determines the companion’s starting skills. You can also help plan ahead by using the table on the Bannerlord Wiki to see the skills for each companion.
Once they’ve been brought into your service, out them to work. Here are the things companions can do for you:
- Automatically complete quests
- Lead trade caravans to earn gold
- Lead War Parties to take over enemy settlements
- Govern settlements, applying any “Governor” perks to the settlement
- Engage in “diplomacy” by raising relations between the player and the owner of a castle that they are left at.
Once you have a few people in your service, you can move on to the next step. Next, you need to take over a settlement or fief of your own. You’re done once you do this, so pick your poison for the method you want to use. You could try going to war and claiming a village on your own, but that’s dangerous. You could also join a faction temporarily to win a vote to gain a fiefdom. From there, you can get your hands on your own kingdom.
Once you have taken a town or castle, move over to it and then click on it. Now just select the option Manage Town. You must put an NPC as the governor from your active companions on this screen. Click the Governer button and appoint an NPC. You can then head into the town and head into the Keep. From there, interact with the NPC that you just appointed. You will then have to select the option along the lines of “It is time to take a momentous step….” This dialogue option will bring up the ability to found your own kingdom.
You can then get up to the fun of waging war and engaging in diplomacy. You can recruit lords for your faction, bringing more armies under your banner. There’s a lot more to learn about this game, so pay attention. Other things you might want to learn are how to properly manage your party’s size and movement speed. No use building a massive army if it’s too slow to fight. Smithing and other crafting disciplines are key to outfitting your troops. And knowing how to deal with rival lords and vassals is key to actually building that army.
